There’s been a whole heck of a lot of eventing over the weekend — and here’s a recap of the section winners at England’s Little Downham Horse Trials, which tends to be a choice prep run for Pau’s CCI5*. Top of our list of poignant wins at the Cambridgeshire fixture? A CCI3* victory for Jesse Campbell and Speedwell, who he took on from wife Georgie after her tragic passing earlier this year. Go get ’em, our lad.
National Holiday: It’s International Podcast Day! To celebrate, here’s a recent one from our pals at Eventing Weekly — arguably our sport’s silliest pod offering.
U.S. Weekend Action:
Stable View Oktoberfest 2/3/4* & H.T. (SC): [Website] [Results]
Spokane Sport Horse 10th Annual Fall H.T. (WA): [Website] [Results]
Jump Start H.T. (KY): [Website] [Results]
Sundance Farm H.T. (WI): [Website] [Results]
Tomora H.T. (CO): [Website] [Results]
ESDCTA New Jersey H.T. (NJ): [Website] [Results]
Old Tavern H.T. (VA): [Website] [Results]
Fleur de Leap H.T. (LA): [Website] [Results]
Course Brook Farm Fall H.T. (MA): [Website] [Results]
Major International Events:
FEI Nations Cup Lignières (France): [Website] [Results]
Your Monday Reading List:
Need a bit of escapism on this rainy Monday morning? Head to Indonesia with Gemma Redrup of Horse&Hound, who enjoyed the press trip of dreams riding native ponies in the surf of Sumba. Just don’t read the nitty gritty about costs, nestled into the end of the piece, too closely. Head to the beach here.
I unapologetically adore Jilly Cooper. Yes, some of her jokes are a little bit, well, of her generation. Sure, some of her heartthrobs are actual total shits. Yes, the whole thing is deeply silly and summarily makes fun of every layer of the British class system. And you know what? If you take it with a pinch of salt, her oeuvre is nearly-perfect fluffy reading, and Riders is practically must-read stuff for entry into the British horse scene. (“I listen to the audiobook of it every time I’m in the lorry,” confessed a male five-star rider to me recently.) The Guardian sat down with the Dame of Dirty Books to find out more about here. You know this is going to be brilliant when the 87-year-old starts off proceedings by asking her interviewer if he’s good in bed.
Okay, okay, onto some serious stuff. Are you thinking about putting on a clinic — or several! — this winter? Done right, these can be great earners and brilliant educational experiences for all the participants. But it’s not quite as simple as just picking a big name and putting a date in the diary. USEA has plenty of tips for really robust clinic-planning, and they’ll be a massive help while you flesh out those winter plans. Check them out here.
And finally, a heart warmer. I’m always a sucker for a good Century Club story, because they’re so often brilliantly multilayered and such a wonderful showcase of why we all love this sport on such an innate level. And this one, featuring two friends who joined the Club together? Well, that’s even better, because there’s something really special about the enduring power of female friendship, and especially lifelong horse-girl friendship. I dare you not to fall in love with these two women and their sweet horses.
Morning Viewing:
Lignieres Nations Cup cross-country, in full? Oh, go on then.
